Door protector device

ABSTRACT

A device for preventing forced entry through a door used in conjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting the door and jamb in which a metal plate is bolted or otherwise secured to the door overlapping the doorjamb. One or more studs are used to interconnect the plate and the adjacent face of the doorjamb to prevent the doorjamb from being forced away from the door. The studs preferably are secured to the plate and project inwardly into holes in the doorjamb. A slot, preferably of an arcuate configuration, is provided in the vertical edge of the plate on the door for receiving the doorknob shaft and surrounding plate or fixtures thereof.

United States Patent [1 1 Bennett et a1.

l l DOOR PROTECTOR DEVICE [76] lnventors: Frederic C. Bennett; Sandra.1.

Bennett, both of 61647 Meadowlark Ln., South Bend, lnd.

[22] Filed: Feb. 1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 222,556

[52] U.S. Cl. 292/346, 292/D1G. 41 [51] Int. Cl. .Q EOSc 1/06 [58] Fieldof Search 292/346, DIG. 40, 292/DIG. 41; 70/416, 418

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,612,480 12/1926 Wells292/18 695.472 3/1902 Miller 292/346 1,428,367 9/1922 Forlander 292/3462,144,075 1/1939 Mora 292/DIG. 4l

[451 Sept. 25, 1973 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Moore Attorney-MarmadukeA. Hobbs [57] ABSTRACT A device for preventing forced entry through adoor used in conjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a boltinterconnecting the door and jamb in which a metal plate is bolted orotherwise secured to the door overlapping the doorjamb. One or morestuds are used to interconnect the plate and the adjacent face of thedoorjamb to prevent the doorjamb from being forced away from the door.The studs preferably are secured to the plate and project inwardly intoholes in the doorjamb. A slot, preferably of an arcuate configuration,is provided in the vertical edge of the plate on the door for receivingthe doorknob shaft and surrounding plate or fixtures thereof.

In opening doors having the conventional spring bolt lock, a burglaroften can easily open the locked door merely by slipping a plastic card,such as a credit card, inwardly between the edge of the door and thedoorjamb and then forcing the bolt out of the receiver slot. Since thispractice will not open dead bolt locks, the burglar frequently uses ajimmy, wrecking bar, or other tool to pry the doorjamb away from thedoor, and thereby disengages the dead bolt from the receiver slot. Thisoperation is performed by placing the end of the jimmy into the spacebetween the edge of the door and the jamb at or immediately above orbelow the lock and forcing the jamb away from the door. This method canbe practiced successfully on both wood and steel door frames, both ofwhich will split, break, or yield sufficiently to permit the bolt toslip from the receiver slot and release the door so that it can beopened to gain entrance to the building. Various improvements have beenmade in the lock and catch for the bolt, and the doorjamb has often beenstrengthened, but these measures will merely resist the use of a jimmyor other pry bar to disengage the bolt from the catch. It is, therefore,one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide adevice which can easily be installed and used in conjunction with thelock to prevent the use by a burglar of either a card or knife on aspring bolt lock and a jimmy or other pry bar on a dead bolt lock. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which wheninstalled on a door firmly retains the door and doorjamb in properspaced relation where the bolt will remain securely locked, and whichwill prevent the doorjamb from being pried away from the door to releasethe bolt from the receiver slot.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a door protectordevice which is simple in construction and design and will not interferewith the normal operation of the lock or door, and which can beinstalled without changing or removing the lock or appreciably alteringthe door and doorjamb.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a door and doorjamb and an elevationalview of the present door protector device, showing the door in closedposition;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the doorjamb and doorprotector device shown in FIG. 1, the section being taken on line 2 -2of the latter figure, showing the door in closed and partially openedpositions; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the door protector device shown in thepreceding figures, removed from the door.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, numeral indicates generallya door protector device embodying the present invention and showing itmounted on and secured to a door 12 used in combination with a doorjamb14. The door may be of any suitable construction, either wood or metal,and the doorjamb is shown as a metal doorjamb or frame. However, thedevice may be used in conjunction with a wood doorjamb or frame. Thedoor and frame may be considered conventional for the purpose of thepresent invention.

A lock, indicated generally by numeral 20, is mounted on the door andincludes inside knob 22 and outside knob 24, the. lock mechanismdisposed in the door and having a spring bolt 26 shown seated in areceiver slot 28 in the inner face 30 of the doorjamb. A door stop 32 issecured to the inner face of the doorjamb by a plurality of screws 34.While the door is described as one which opens outwardly from thebuilding, the present door protector device may be used on a door whichswings inwardly.

The door protecting device shown in the drawing consists of a rigidmetal plate 40, preferably of steel, secured to the door by a pair ofbolts 42 and 44 extending through slots 46 in plate 40. Holes are shownas square for receiving the square portion of the shank of a carriagebolt which has a round head -48 seating on the external surface of plate40. The plate may be of various sizes, the one shown in the drawingbeing approximately 6 inches in height and 4% inches in width, and sopositioned that the horizontal center of the plate is located onsubstantially the axis of bolt 26. In order to permit the plate toextend inwardly away from the edge of the door and form effectiveresistance to prying along the outer edge thereof, upper and lowerextensions 50 and 52 project inwardly beyond the axis of the two knobs,the two projections defining a slot 54 which surrounds the base of theknob and its fixtures. Since the door is often recessed slightlyinwardly from the outer surface of the doorjamb, the two sections 62 and64 are offset at60 so that each section will lie flat against thesurface of the door and the front surface of the doorjamb, respectively.

One of the important features of the present invention is the meanswhereby a jimmy or other prying tool cannoteffectively be used toseparate the doorjamb from the door and thereby release the bolt fromthe security slot 28. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, two steelstuds and 72 are secured in holes 74 and 76 in section 64. When the dooris closed these two studs extend into holes 78 and 80 in the side of thedoorjamb, holding the door and jamb in close proximity to one anotherand preventing the bolt from being disengaged from the slotted fixturein the inner surface of the jamb.

In the installation and use of the door protector device, two holes aredrilled in the door for receiving bolts 42 and 44, and two holes aredrilled in the front face of the doorjamb or door frame for receivingstuds 70 and 72. After the plate has been mounted on the door and isrigidly secured thereto by bolts 42 and 44, when the door is closed,studs 70 and 72 seat in the two holes 78 and 80. With the plate boltedfirmly to the door and studs 70 and 72 seated in holes 78 and 80, the

doorjamb or door frame 14 cannot be pried away from the door in thevicinity of the lock, and hence the bolt 26 cannot be dislodged ordisengaged from the lock portion in which the receiver slot 28 islocated. While the frame may be distorted and bent away from the doorabove and below the plate 40, the plate, since it is held by the twobolts and the two studs above and below the position of the lock, theframe is held in close proximity to the door near the lock. The devicedoes not interfere with the normal use of the door, since the two studseasily seat in and can be removed from holes 78 and 80,-thus permittingthe door to close and open freely.

While the present door protector device has been il lustrated inconnection with an outwardly opening door, the structure of the deviceand the installation thereof are essentially the same for a door openinginwardly. However, with a door opening inwardly, the plate 40 does notprevent a card, knife or other thin instrument from being insertedbetween the door and the doorjamb to retract the spring type bolt. Thedevice, however, prevents the doorjamb or frame from being pried awayfrom the door sufficiently to disengage either a spring bolt or deadbolt from the lock portion having receiver slot 28 therein.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the door protectordevice to adapt it to different installations, without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for preventing forced entry through a door used inconjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting thedoor and jamb and with a doorknob projecting outwardly from the door,comprising a plate adapted to be mounted on the door and to overlap theface of the jamb, means for rigidly securing said plate to the door, astud means removably interconnecting said plate and said jamb when thedoor is in its closed position, and a slot in one edge of said plate topermit the plate to partially surround the doorknob and extend beyondthe edge thereof.

2. A device for preventing forced entry through a door as defined inclaim 1 in which said stud means consists of a stud projecting inwardlyfrom said plate for seating in a hole in the doorjamb.

3. A device for preventing forced entry through a door as defined inclaim 1 in which said stud means consists of two studs spaced verticallyfrom one another projecting inwardly from said plate for seating incorresponding holes in the doorjamb.

4. A device for preventing forced entry through a door used inconjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting thedoor and jamb and with a doorknob projecting outwardly from the door, asdefined in claim 3 in which a slot is provided in the edge of said plateto permit the plate to partially surround the doorknob and extend beyondthe edge thereof.

5. A device for preventing forced entry through a door as defined inclaim 1 in which said means for rigidly securing said plate to the doorconsists of a pair of bolts extending through holes in said plate anddoor and being spaced vertically from one another.

6. A device for preventing forced entry through a door as defined inclaim 4 in which said means for rigidly securing said plate to the doorconsists of a pair of bolts extending through holes in said plate anddoor and being spaced vertically from one another.

7. A device for preventing forced entry through a door used inconjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting thedoor and jamb, comprising a plate of rigid metal plate material adaptedto be mounted on the door and to overlap the face of the jamb, means forrigidly securing said plate to the door, and a stud means removablyinterconnecting said plate and said jamb when the door is in its closedposition, said plate having two sections,-one section seating on thedoor and the other section overlapping the doorjamb and being offsetoutwardly from the section on the door.

8. A device for preventing forced entry through a door as defined inclaim 4 in which said plate has an offset defining two sections, onesection seating on the door and the other section overlapping thedoorjamb and being offset outwardly from the said section on the door.

1. A device for preventing forced entry through a door used inconjunction with a doorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting thedoor and jamb and with a doorknob projecting outwardly from the door,comprising a plate adapted to be mounted on the door and to overlap theface of the jamb, means for rigidly securing said plate to the door, astud means removably interconnecting said plate and said jamb when thedoor is in its closed position, and a slot in one edge of said plate topermit the plate to partially surround the doorknob and extend beyondthe edge thereof.
 2. A device for preventing forced entry through a dooras defined in claim 1 in which said stud means consists of a studprojecting inwardly from said plate for seating in a hole in thedoorjamb.
 3. A device for preventing forced entry through a door asdefined in claim 1 in which said stud means consists of two studs spacedvertically from one another projecting inwardly from said plate forseating in corresponding holes in the doorjamb.
 4. A device forpreventing forced entry through a door used in conjunction with adoorjamb and a lock with a bolt interconnecting the door and jamb andwith a doorknob projecting outwardly from the door, as defined in claim3 in which a slot is provided in the edge of said plate to permit theplate to partially surround the doorknob and extend beyond the edgethereof.
 5. A device for preventing forced entry through a door asdefined in claim 1 in which said means for rigidly securing said plateto the door consists of a pair of bolts extending through holes in saidplate and door and being spaced vertically from one another.
 6. A devicefor preventing forced entry through a door as defined in claim 4 inwhich said means for rigidly securing said plate to the door consists ofa pair of bolts extending through holes in said plate and door and beingspaced vertically from one another.
 7. A device for preventing forcedentry through a door used in conjunction with a doorjamb and a lock witha bolt interconnecting the door and jamb, comprising a plate of rigidmetal plate material adapted to be mounted on the door and to overlapthe face of the jamb, means for rigidly securing said plate to the door,and a stud means removably interconnecting said plate and said jamb whenthe door is in its closed position, said plate having two sections, onesection seating on the door and the other section overlapping thedoorjamb and being offset outwardly from the section on the door.
 8. Adevice for preventing forced entry through a door as defined in claim 4in which said plate has an offset defining two sections, one sectionseating on the door and the other section overlapping the doorjamb andbeing offset outwardly from the said section on the door.